The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) says it arrested about 4,666 traffic offenders between January and August in Katsina.

The FRSC sector commander in Katsina, Ali Sule-Tanimu, disclosed this on Wednesday.

Mr Sule-Tanimu said the offenders were arrested for committing no fewer than 5,010 offences.

According to him, 479 offenders were arrested in January, 663 in March, 766 in March and 517 in April.

“Most of the time, the weather also determines, because, by the time rain starts setting in, offences have reduced because most of the people have dropped their vehicles and gone to farms,” said Mr Sule-Tanimu. “And then crashes increased in this period because of the rainy season, over speeding while raining, burst tires and lack of functional wipers.”

Mr Sule-Tanimu added that the command impounded 1,026 motorcycles between June and August for not having registered plate numbers.

“We have carried out a special clampdown on them between June, July and August, and a total of 1,026 motorcyclists were arrested and forced to purchase the plate numbers from the board of internal revenue,” he disclosed. “They have to register their motorcycles, then we release them, we don’t charge them at all, but we make sure they purchased the numbers.”

He added that “after they have obtained the plate numbers, we copy the details and the chassis numbers so that another person will not come and present the same number.”

According to him, 120 tricycles were impounded, with the owners told to “go and purchase the plate numbers before releasing them.”

(NAN)